You ever have one of those days? You wake up tired. You have things you have to do and things you truly want to do… and don’t know where to start. The house is messy and that’s not helping. You’re not ill or depressed. You just feel… off. Every mom has those days once in a while.
I had one of those days recently, and because I love to write (and read) about happiness and specifically, how not to let our moods dictate our days, I am thankfully good at snapping out of that “blah” state quickly.
Here’s how I do it.
Take a shower.
Confession: I’m really, really bad at remembering the meditative, restorative power of the simple shower. It’s probably no surprise that many religious rituals began with some sort of cleansing of the physical body. When I’m feeling “off”, shaving my legs is practically free therapy.
Go ahead and put on the good body cream while you’re at it. Not the cheap stuff. (Oh wait, that’s just me that has a problem “saving” the good stuff for some unnamed occasion? I’m working on it!)
Get cute.
After bathing, getting cute is the proper next step in getting one’s energy and mood in the right place. I believe that moms should get cute every single day, even if nobody is going to see them except their baby. And even if their shirt is going to get spit up on or wiped with buttery toddler hands.
Because you’re worth it.
Go somewhere.
Anywhere. Whether it’s a simple errand, to the park or wherever, getting out of the house gives you a bit of fresh air and change of scenery.
Grab your journal.
Take a few minutes and reverse-engineer why it was an off day.
For me, it’s often because I didn’t get enough sleep the night before and forced myself to get up early (because I love getting up early!), when the wisest course of action would have been to set my alarm 8 hours after I hit the bed, no matter what time that was.
Maybe you’re feeling off because you ate poorly the day before. Or perhaps you need to take action in some area or change something that isn’t working about your routine. Don’t ruminate but do write a paragraph, then move on.
Take a nap.
Set a timer for 20 minutes and get in bed. 20 minutes of rest can do wonders to uplevel your mood.
Move your butt.
Seriously. Moving your body always clears the cobwebs from your brain and helps shift your mood. It doesn’t take much. Even if you’re exhausted, put on your favorite dance tune and boogy. Jump on the trampoline for a minute or two. Do it tired, and you won’t be so tired anymore.
More about how to snap out of a bad mood quickly here.
What do you do when you feel “off”?
p.s. Are you following me on Instagram? I would love if you did!
These are some great tips, Carrie!
I just listened to the latest Happier podcast today and their “try this at home’ goes well with your notion
to get your butt moving: Their tip was to do 10 jumping jacks. I’ve done this before and it does help. Something about blood pumping and being a little silly lightens the mood.
Also, another podcast favorite of mine- Dr. Jen Riday’s Vibrant Happy Women had a 2 minute Happy Bit about taking deep breaths. I also know from following Jen on social media that she starts her day with deep breaths— and surprise, surprise- this was my first assignment from my new therapist- 10 deep breaths in the morning, afternoon, and night.
When I have an off morning (try to catch it before it become a whole day!), I try to round the kids up for books & snuggles on the couch. Or, we head outside for a brief walk – fresh air usually helps all of us! And, no matter how trivial it seems, simply choosing to smile, relax my shoulders, and unclench all those tensed up muscles tells my body, “Hey, life really isn’t all that bad after all!”
I read that you should smile even though you don’t want to and it makes you happier. I have tried it a few times with mixed results! I like to have a crazy dance party. Or start talking in an accent. ?
I had one of these days today! Great suggestions!!!
I had one of these days today. Great suggestions.
I love that!